The privileged spectrum of cnoidal ion holes and its extension by imperfect ion trapping

The fundamental properties of nonlinear ion hole modes propagating in current-driven collisionless plasmas are derived. Making use of Schamel's alternative method their spatial structure $?(x)$ and phase velocities $u_0$ are analyzed and found to depend crucially on the used trapped ion distribution $f_{it}$. A regular $f_{it}$ represents a continuous spectrum, which is called privileged or perfect since it yields a definite $u_0$ and appears most realistic. A singular $f_{it}$, on the other hand, involving jumps and moderate slope singularities at the separatrix, does reveal further classes of hole equilibria at the cost, however, of a well-defined $u_0$. This explains why Bernstein, Greene, Kruskal (BGK)-solutions of the Vlasov–Poisson system, exhibiting a strong slope singularity of their derived trapped particle distribution, can principally not provide definite $u_{0}s$. The nonlinear dispersion relation (or $u_0$) of privileged ion holes, on the other hand, is equivalent with that of cnoidal electron holes, i.e. in addition to the ordinary ion acoustic branch there exists a correspondence to the “Langmuir” branch and to the multiple “slow electron acoustic” branches, reflecting different trapping scenarios.